A Dark Heritage
by Lisa Ravenclaw
Summary: Samantha Steward has just moved from The United States to England. She is excited to go to Hogwarts, but also scared that people will find out about her heritage. Her secret is namely that she is related to Isolt Sayre, the founder of Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and therefore also to the one and only Salazar Slytherin. Set during sixth year.
1. Chapter 1

Thank you so much for deciding to read this story. This story had been in my head for quite some time and I hope you will enjoy reading it!

'Samantha Steward, if you don't get out of bed this instant you are going to miss your train!' I shot up and looked at the alarm clock beside me. I immediately jumped out of bed. Merlin, I was late. Why couldn't I just wake up on time for once in my life? I quickly grabbed the muggle clothes I had laid out the night before and rushed to the bathroom to have a quick shower. My first day of attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was certainly not off to a good start.

My name is Samantha Stewart, but most people call me Sam. A few weeks ago I moved from America to England. My mother had gotten a work opportunity at the British Ministry of Magic and she decided to take it. At first she was hesitant, because she didn't want my father and I to just back up our lives for her, but my father and I wanted to support her with this decision. This job at the Department of International Magical Cooperation was just too good to turn down. I did have to give a lot up at home. I attended Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and was one of the most promising young witches there, or so I was told. Fair enough, I did get good grades, had a bunch of friends and was Quidditch captain of the Horned Serpents. But at the same time, the move was kind of a relief. All these expectations and responsibilities came with a lot of pressure and stress. Starting of somewhere new and fresh where nobody had these expectations of me and I didn't have any responsibilities sounded like music to my ears. I could start from scratch. It also helped that at Hogwarts I wasn't a known descendant of one of their founders, which I was at Ilvermorny. I was related to Isolt Sayre. I guess that fact contributed to all the expectations at Ilvermorny.

As I got out of the shower I started to think of Hogwarts. I was going to start my sixth year there. Obviously it was kind of frightening, because I didn't know anyone. However, there was this one family friend, whose family we visited many years ago here in England, but I didn't think he would know me. Hell, I didn't even know what he looked like today or which House he called his home. I was awakened from my daydream when my mother called for me again. I started to move faster and got dressed and put a light layer of make-up on: just a bit of concealer and mascara. I was still too tired to put much effort into my hair, so I just combed it through and put it in a high pony tail. I looked contently into the mirror. At times I felt a bit insecure about my appearance. Not because I thought that I was ugly or anything, but because sometimes I just thought I looked boring. I had normal dark brown hair, green eyes and had an average height. Nothing wrong with that, but when I looked around at school I just saw these girls who could be world-renowned models if they chose to be.

Back to the real world I walked out of the bathroom, grabbed my suitcase out of my room and went downstairs to meet my mum and dad. I parked my suitcase at the front door. When I walked into the kitchen I saw that my mum and dad were still enjoying their breakfast. 'Good morning,' I greeted as I sat down at the head of the table. 'Good morning Sam,' said my father smiling. 'Good morning sweetheart. You do have to rush with your breakfast, because we only have about 15 minutes before we have to head off to the train station.' 'I know,' I smirked to my mother. I quickly grabbed some toast from the table and a cup of tea. I finished it in less than 10 minutes and then helped my parents with clearing the table before we went off. 'Do you have everything you need, Sam?' I heard my father ask while I was putting away the last dishes. 'My suitcase is already at the door. I just have to grab Catherine from the living room and my train ticket.' I replied. Catherine was my owl. She was a tawny owl and had feathers in a beautiful dark rusty brown tint. My parents had bought her as a Christmas Present when I was 12 years old and she hadn't left my side ever since. She was one of the only parts of America that I was able to take with me. 'Are you sure you have packed everything?' It was amazing how my mother could ask the same question at least five times in the last 10 hours. 'Yes mum, I am sure. As do you cause you insisted on checking it twice last night.' I laughed. My mother started to laugh as well. 'I guess you are right,' she said honestly.

When everything was sorted and my suitcase and Catherine's cage was put into the back off the car, we headed off to Kings Cross Station. We lived on the outskirts of London, so it was about a 30 minute drive. This gave me time to think things over again. I was excited to go back to school, since I loved learning and all the classes. I wondered if classes at Hogwarts would be different from the classes at Ilvermorny. I imagined that most of the subjects would be the same, but maybe the teachers would have different methods. As of right now Potions was definitely my favourite subject, closely followed by Defence Against the Dark Arts. Potion making took a lot of concentrating and dedication, but when you did it right, the result could be extraordinary. Defence Against the Dark Arts was something entirely different. Here, I always thought, it was more about instinct and self-confidence. And especially in these times it was an important subject.

Before I knew it we pulled over at Kings Cross Station. I heard Catherine screeching beside me and smiled at her fondly. At least she was going to Hogwarts with me. My parents and I grabbed all of my luggage and started to walk to platform 9 ¾. We had been informed that we had to run to the space between platforms 9 and 10, so that is what we did. When we arrived at the platform I still had about 10 minutes before I had to board the train. I looked around for a few moments and saw already a great bunch of young wizards and witches saying goodbye to their families and joining their friends, hugging them and high fiving them as a greeting after the summer holidays. For me, it was now also time to say goodbye to my parents. I looked back at them with a smile. 'Samantha, I need you to promise me to do your best at school. This is a very important year for you, the last before your N.E.W.T.s.' my mum was always worried about my academics, whereas my father normally didn't care about them at all. It was a good combination. I wouldn't like to have two parents who pushed me to my limits. 'Yes, mum, I promise.' 'O, and dear,' my father began, 'I don't want you to worry about the housing okay. If you are put in Slytherin, it doesn't matter.' I nodded at my dad.

After that it was silent for a few minutes. 'Okay, Samantha, do your best at school and we will see you during Winter break,' my mum said one more time. I smiled and hugged my mum and dad. 'Oh, and Sam. Don't forget to have fun,' my dad said. 'I will,' I said promising. Then it really was time to board the train and leave my parents. I felt kind of sad. It wasn't that I got homesick quick. I mean, I had lived at Ilvermorny for the past five school years, but this just felt different. It was brand new, a new adventure and with that I was climbing on board the Hogwarts express full of anticipation, wondering what would come next. Remembering my father's words I promised myself that I would have fun and wouldn't worry about the Sorting, even though that seemed like an impossible task. Being a descendant from Isolt Sayre meant after all that I was also related to another well-known wizard. Namely, the one and only Salazar Slytherin.

I hope you liked this first chapter! Please review this story. I am always open to feedback!

xxx

Lisa


	2. Chapter 2

I really can't believe that people are already reading this story. I hope you are enjoying it so far! I will try to post as much as I can. However, my final exams have started today, so bear with me if it takes a couple of days to upload ;-).

The train was about to leave and I still hadn't found a place to sit. I was cursing in my head. Where the hell was I going to sit? Nobody knew me and it would be bloody awkward to just slide a door open and announce myself to a room full of people I'd never met. I decided to just wonder through the halls to see if there was a compartment free without any people. That's when I bumped into someone.

'Oh, I'm so sorry, my fault,' I said to the boy in front of me. He had brown hair and a sweet face. I also noticed that he already had his school uniform on. The boy looked at me for a moment. 'Never mind,' he said. It looked like he was going to walk away, but then he stopped for a second, looking back at me. 'You don't happen to be Samantha Stewart, do you?' I was confused. How did he know who I was? 'Uhm, yes I am actually. I am sorry, but who are you?' The boy laughed. 'Oh yeah, how rude of me. I am Terry Boot.' My heart pace slowed down. Terry was the family friend who I hadn't seen in ages. The Boot Family and the Stewards had a long history, dating back to the time of my ancestor Isolt. I knew I could trust him. 'Oh, that explains it. It's a pleasure to see you again.' I shook his hand. 'Sorry,' I continued, 'but how did you know I was going to be here today?' 'Well, as you probably know, my father and yours kept in touch over the years. So my father figured you were going to be attending Hogwarts this year and asked me to keep an eye out for you.' Terry smiled at me. When we were younger we used to play together sometimes, but those memories had mostly faded. 'Well I guess I owe your father a thank you, since besides you I don't know anybody in here,' I laughed nervously. He raised his eyebrows. 'Of course, I almost forgot. You can sit with me and my friends if you want.' I smiled, being very relieved. Thank Merlin for that.

I happily accepted the offer and after Terry and I walked for a bit and the train was already driving full speed, we arrived at his compartment. He opened the door and I saw three people looking at us curiously. Terry looked between me and the two guys and one girl already seated and started to introduce me. 'Hello everyone, I would like you to meet Samantha Steward.' 'You can call me Sam,' I added quickly. 'Sam, these are my friends. This is Michael Corner.' He pointed at a boy with dark hair, almost black, and pale skin. He had his arm around the girl next to him. 'This is Cho Chang,' Terry said while pointing to the girl next to Michael. She was beautiful and had a sweet smile on her face. 'And finally, this is Anthony Goldstein.' I looked at the boy with the blond hair. He seemed kind enough, but he didn't look me in the eye. Weird.

Time went by quite fast. It was going great. Especially Cho and I could really get along great. We could just talk. The boys were talking too and seemed to be really close. Like they had been friends since birth. I found out that Cho was a year above me, so she was in her final year. That was kind of unfortunate because it would have been nice to already have someone I knew and liked in my year. Terry, Anthony and Michael, however, luckily were in my year. I got to know all of them pretty well during the train ride. I learned that they were all in Ravenclaw. My father said that that was the House for the people who valued knowledge and wisdom above all. I could appreciate that, I guess. Cho also mentioned that she was seeker for her house Quidditch team which I thought was extremely cool. Since I had played Quidditch at Ilvermorny from my second year onwards, I had always enjoyed it. I had been captain in my fifth year and I was a chaser myself. I didn't know if I wanted to play Quidditch here at Hogwarts though. I guess I had to wait and see if I wanted to. I didn't want to mount myself with pressure again and as a matter of fact didn't want to draw a lot of attention to myself. My heritage had to remain a secret. The looks and judgement I would receive if people found out would destroy me. But part of me already knew that all these things wouldn't stop me in the end. At one moment I knew I couldn't bear to live without feeling the freedom that came with flying through the sky. Plus I had the confidence to say that I was pretty good, but more importantly I just loved playing the sport.

While we were all talking a girl opened the door. She had brown curly hair and looked like she was about the same age as me. She as well had her uniform already on. She looked around the compartment swiftly before deciding to speak up. 'Cho, Anthony, we have a prefect meeting, remember,' the girl said a little agitated. 'Shoot, I am afraid I have to leave you with these two, Sam,' Cho said apologetic while pointing at Terry and Michael. 'Hey,' they immediately said offended. 'We are great company,' Michael said with a smirk. 'Sure guys,' the curly-haired girl in the door opening uttered. She then turned her head to me, looking at me curiously. 'I don't believe we have met. I am Hermione Granger.' I shook her hand with a smile. That name sounded kind of familiar, like I'd seen it in a paper of some sorts. 'Sam Steward, I just transferred from Ilvermorny.' Her eyes widened 'That's so cool. I have read about Ilvermorny before. You have to tell me about it and America sometime, okay.' She seemed really excited about finding out, so I just nodded while smiling. 'Sure, I will.' I said genuinely, thinking this would be a great way to also get to know her better and make another contact at Hogwarts. 'Great! But now we really have to go, are you guys coming along?' she asked the two other prefects. Anthony and Cho agreed and left with Hermione, leaving me with Terry and Michael. Hermione seemed really nice; maybe she could also be my friend.

The rest of the journey I talked mostly with Terry about our families. We were just catching up and talking about what everybody was up to these days. I also asked Terry and Michael a bit about Hogwarts. Since my parents both studied at Ilvermorny, they couldn't answer a lot of my questions so this was the perfect opportunity. I already knew about the different Houses, but I did learn from the two guys that the housing lay in the hands of the so called Sorting Hat and that you had to sit in front of the entire school who were watching you while he decided your fate. A bit scary, but I wasn't petrified by it. It was almost a given that I would be put in Slytherin though, because of my heritage. I knew that, but there was still this small part in my brain saying that maybe I could defy those odds.

I also found out more about the situation concerning Voldemort. In America, Voldemort wasn't a major problem. We were worried of course, but the biggest problem was in Europe and especially here in the United Kingdom. It was one of the only doubts my parents had to moving here. Terry and Michael told me further about the Triwizard Tournament two years ago and the battle at the Ministry last year. It all was terrifying if you thought about it. I couldn't possibly imagine what they all had been though these last couple of years. However, I shouldn't be worried, Albus Dumbledore was the Headmaster of Hogwarts and he was apparently the only one who scared Voldemort. They told me about the Golden Trio: Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Maybe that is why I had seen Hermione's name somewhere. Apparently the Trio had taught Defence Against the Dark Arts to a bunch of people last year, because the teacher wasn't exactly… qualified, which I found pretty impressive. I heard of Harry Potter in the United States, but here he truly was a hero and a phenomenon. I wondered if I would meet him in my time at Hogwarts and what he was actually like in person.

When we almost arrived at Hogwarts it was time for me to change into my uniform. I didn't want to kick the boys out of the compartment, so I decided to change in the bathroom down the hall. When I was walking towards the bathroom, someone bumped into me. 'Watch where you're going,' I said with an irritated voice, but when I turned around to see who I was talking to, no one was there. Again, weird. I returned to walking to the bathroom. Fortunately, it was free when I got there. It was a relative small space but I made it work. I quickly changed into my school ropes and made my way back to the boys. When I had gotten back to the compartment, Terry informed me that we were almost there. He was right, because only a few moments later, the train came to a stop.

We walked out of the compartment and got trapped into a crowd of people, also eager to leave the confined space of the train. Once we arrived outside, I saw a giant-like man with a kind face gathering the first-years. I smiled at their wondering and excited faces. It took me back to my first day at Ilvermorny. However, I couldn't dwell on that memory for long, because my mind soon got distracted by what I saw behind the trees in front of me. The castle, Hogwarts. It was amazingly beautiful. I was truly mesmerized by it. This is where I would live for the upcoming two years. This would be my home. And for some odd reason, it already felt like it.

I hope you liked this chapter! I feel like the books and the movies don't do Ravenclaw justice, so I wanted to include more Ravenclaw characters in this story.

Which House do you think Sam belongs in? I guess you will have to read the next chapter to find out ;-)

Please favourite and follow this story and leave a review if you want to!

Xxx

Lisa


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Hey guys I am back. My final exams are over and so is the small holiday I went on with some friends. From now on, I will post more regularly!

After I was done admiring the extraordinary castle, Terry and Michael let me to a place that was just a little bit further into the woods behind the station. When we arrived there, I saw a bunch of carriages. Some already had a bunch of students sitting in them, but some were still empty. What was remarkable, was that there were no horses or for that matter anything to pull the carriages forwards. I supposed it was some kind of magic. Our little group continued to sit in one of the carriages and a few moments later we were joined again by Cho and Anthony. 'Hey, sorry we are a little late.' Cho apologised as she sat down. 'The Prefect meeting was incredibly hectic. For one, the male Slytherin prefect was a no-show and we just couldn't agree on the patrolling schedule. Sorry if I'm rambling.' I laughed at her. 'It is okay. It seems you guys had an eventful journey.' 'You could say that,' said Anthony. I smiled. That were probably the first words he had spoken to me directly. 'How was the rest of your journey,' asked Cho. Michael put an arm over her shoulder and filled her in on what we talked about in the compartment. He also stressed that he thought I was a bit worried about the Sorting.

I sent him a withering look. 'You really shouldn't be,' said Cho with a kind voice. 'I have only met you a few hours ago, but I already know you're a great person. You will be fine and any house will be lucky to have you.' That was really sweet and nice of her to say, even though my house was probably predetermined. I knew at that moment that I had made a real friend. 'Thank you Cho, I really appreciate that.' She smiled contently.

The rest of the ride to Hogwarts was pretty silent. Terry and Anthony talked a little about classes, but that was basically it. Approximately 15 minutes later, the carriages stopped. 'Weird,' said Terry, 'most of the time we ride a little further.' We all walked out and it seemed that there was some kind of check for something. We joined the other students, strolling to the people, who probably were professors of Hogwarts, which were standing a few feet in front of the entrance of the castle. 'Who are they?' I asked Terry pointing towards the men at the entrance. 'Oh that one on the right with the crooked nose and the jet black hair is professor Snape. He teaches Potions and is the head of Slytherin House. He is known to favour his own house, but he is a pretty great teacher. And that one on the left is professor Flitwick. He is amazing. I heard that he was a duelling champion back in the days. Furthermore, he teaches Charms and is the head of Ravenclaw House, so maybe I am a little bit biased.' I laughed at that. Professor Flitwick seemed like a really nice teacher. However, professor Snape, I couldn't really read. It looked like he was a hard man who didn't show mercy to anyone, but somehow I could register an underlying pain in his eyes that wouldn't completely come to the surface.

Apparently the professors were here to do a last check for any dark magic or forbidden objects we could be carrying with us. It took some time, but I understood that it was necessary under the circumstances. The assessment carried on for about five minutes and then we were allowed into the castle. The inside was just as stunning as the outside. The majestic halls were impressive. Don't get me wrong, Ilvermorny was also beautiful, but Hogwarts was just something else. Ilvermorny always had this dark and mysterious vibe to it, while Hogwarts immediately felt homely and warm, even in these dark times.

I followed my Ravenclaw friends to the Great Hall. Apparently this is where everyone had breakfast and dinner and sometimes parties were held. Moreover, this was the place where my sorting would take place. At the entrance of the Hall, I was however stopped by a professor. She wore green ropes and a matching pointing hat and had a stern look on her face, but at the same time looked kind and welcoming. My new found friends waited for me. 'You must be Samantha Steward, right.' 'Yes, that's correct.' I said, trying to be as polite as possible. 'Welcome to Hogwarts dear, I am professor McGonagall. I teach Transfiguration and I am the head of Gryffindor House. You are about to be sorted into a house, so I would like to ask you to wait here until the ceremony starts. 'That will be fine professor.' She smiled at me. 'I will be right back,' she said before walking down a different corridor, presumably to meet all the first-year students. I walked to my friends to let them know I would not be joining them just yet. . 'I have to wait here for a moment, so I guess I will see you in a few minutes.' 'Okay Sam. Good luck.' said Cho smiling. She gave me small hug and then walked with her friends to the Ravenclaw table. I watched them leave.

Now the nerves really started to kick in. I kind of wanted to be in Ravenclaw now, since that was the only house where I knew people, but at the same time I just knew I wouldn't belong there. I was great at academics, but it wasn't the most important thing in the world for me. That was most of the time a misjudgement people made of me when they didn't know me well. They just saw a reasonably impressive grade list and immediately presumed that school and classes were all that I lived for. That left Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and of course Slytherin.

Time went by faster than I had thought. After what seemed only a few seconds, professor McGonagall returned with a bunch of frightened looking first years. I smiled comforting at them and a few of them returned my smile. 'Okay we are about to enter the Great Hall, the heart of Hogwarts. There, the Sorting Ceremony will commence. Please follow me, you too Miss Steward.'

I followed the group and was the last of them to enter the Great Hall. It was huge and there were an uncountable number of candles hanging from the ceiling. You could also see clouds and stars there. It almost looked exactly like the night sky. Only then did I notice the hundreds of faces looking at me. Hogwarts mustn't have transfers often, because everyone was staring and whispering to their friends as I walked by. I glanced around me and found some encouraging smiles from my Ravenclaw friends and when I looked the other way I even received a smile from Hermione Granger who was sitting next to a boy with red hair, who, from what I had heard, must be Ron Weasley. However, I soon got distracted, because the group stopped at the end of the hall where a hat, the Sorting Hat I presumed, was lying on a stool.

The nervousness continued to grow at this moment. Could it be a possibility that I wouldn't be sorted into Slytherin? But if I was put in Slytherin, would my new Ravenclaw friends still accept me? Slytherin, namely, did not have a great reputation. Professor McGonagall walked up to the lifted platform and grabbed a list of names. 'First up,' she said, 'we have a transfer from Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Samantha Steward.' I heard a lot of mumbling as I walked up to the stage. When I turned around facing the crowd and sat on the stool, professor McGonagall put the Sorting Hat on my head. Okay, stay calm, I told myself. 'No need to be worried girl, I am just placing you were you truly belong.' I heard a voice inside my head say. Wait, it talked. How could it talk? And it read my mind. It must be some form of Legilimency. 'Well, well, you certainly have a good brain, nobody could argue with that. It would surprise you how little people have thought of that when they hear me speak. But I sense that Ravenclaw wouldn't be the right fit for you and neither would Hufflepuff. As trustful as you might be, patience isn't your strong suit. That leaves Gryffindor and Slytherin. Your heritage should say it all. You would be perfect for Slytherin. There is ambition and cunningness all over the place. I can also see that you are a born leader and very resourceful when you need to be.' Well there you had it, I thought. My fate was sealed. For a moment, I looked at the people staring at me and I could see they were getting impatient. I guess this normally doesn't take that long. 'But…' I heard and hope relighted inside of me. 'There is also a braveness and determination to prove yourself to the world. You want to defy the expectations other people have of you when they learn your true name. A trait a certain founder asked me to look for. Well then it's settled. You belong in GRYFFINDOR!'

A/N I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! As always, follow, favourite and leave a review!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N Hey guys! Here is another chapter for you. I am so glad that people are following and reading this story and I hope you will enjoy the next part of Sam's journey!

A loud applause came from the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw table when the Sorting Hat finally said that defining word. I was a Gryffindor, I was a Gryffindor. I was a freaking Gryffindor! I defied the odds. There was a smile plastered to my face that wouldn't be disappearing any time soon. After a moment of shock, I got up and walked confidently to the Gryffindor table. I smiled at my Ravenclaw friends on the way there who had their thumbs up for me. Terry and Cho smiled like crazy people. I laughed at that. I barely even knew them and they were already rooting for me. I focussed my attention back to the Gryffindor table and Hermione Granger motioned me to sit next to her. I walked up to her and sat there. 'Hey! Sam right?' she said smiling. 'Yeah,' I said. 'Welcome to Gryffindor!' 'Thank you, I'm really excited.' I said being completely honest. It was a miracle I wasn't placed in Slytherin. My house at Ilvermorny was the Horned Serpent and that house was founded by my ancestor Isolt, so I had thought this would also be a no-brainer.

Hermione and I started talking as the first years were sorted into their houses. She told me a bunch of things about Hogwarts and introduced me to a few of her friends. I met Ron Weasley, who seemed like a nice guy. He had bright red/orangey hair and a lot of freckles. I also met his sister Ginny Weasley, who was really attractive with her red hair and seemed like a really great person to hang out with. Unfortunately, she was a year below us. I wondered though where Harry Potter was. I mean, if what Terry and Michael had told me was correct, they were all best friends. So where was he? I didn't ask though, not wanting to be rude or seem like some crazy fan, which I wasn't.

'Where is Harry, bloody hell?' I heard Ron say while the last few first year were about to be sorted. 'I have no idea,' Hermione said slightly worried, focussing her attention from me to Ron. 'First I thought he just got separated from us in all the madness, but know I'm not so sure.' Ginny joined in on their conversation. 'Maybe he was just late and missed the carriages. It wouldn't be the first time somebody did.' Ron laughed. 'Remember that time,' he said, 'when Crabbe missed the carriages like two years ago because he had so much candy he bought, that he needed to bring along with him, that it took him a full half an hour to grab it all. He had to walk all the way to the castle. He came into the great hall eating it and I thought Snape was about to blow up. It was truly amazing.' Ron smiled to himself as he remembered that. I couldn't help but laugh a little, not even knowing who Crabbe was. 'Yeah Ron we know, you couldn't stop talking about it for an entire month. It was bloody annoying.' Ginny said. Ron looked offended. 'Sam didn't know the story and she thought it was funny. Right?' He looked at me almost pleading. 'I thought it was funny Ron,' I said amused. 'See,' he said smiling contently to Ginny. Ginny sighed.

Hermione however still looked a bit nervous. 'I'm sure he will show up soon.' I said giving her a reassuring smile. 'I hope so.' 'Speak of the devil,' Ginny exclaimed looking behind me. I turned around and saw a handsome boy with raven hair and glasses with bright green eyes walking towards us. Harry Potter. I noticed that his nose was bleeding and I immediately wondered how he'd gotten that. When he approached he looked at me in a weird way. He almost looked amused. He went to sit down at my right, as that was the only available seat at the table. 'Harry, Merlin what happened to you. Why were you late? Did you get into trouble?' 'Relax Hermione. I'm fine, except for the bloody nose of course, as you can see.' 'Did someone do that to you?' Hermione asked a bit concerned. Harry pointed to the Slytherin table where a boy was sitting down. I could only see his back, but he seemed about the same age as us and he had the brightest platinum hair I had ever seen in my life. My hair was dark brown and was just plain ordinary if you compared it with his. 'Malfoy,' Ron said sighing. 'Yup the one and only.' Right after he said that, the boy with the platinum hair turned around and now I could see his face. He showed Harry a smirk and then focussed his eyes on me. He stared at me expressionless and I looked into his grey eyes. They were extraordinary and I couldn't yet tell if that was in a good or a bad way. I mean, they were beautiful, as with his hair I'd never seen anything like them. His eyes were grey but so light that they were almost silver. How bright as they may be however, at the same time they looked as dark as night. I couldn't put my finger on what I saw, but it was definitely not good. I broke of the stare and focussed my attention back on my new housemates.

A few moments later a ton of food appeared on the large table in front of us. Ron immediately dug in and I couldn't help but laugh out loud. 'You're going to see that a lot in your time here. Trust me.' Hermione promised me also laughing, but disgusted at the same time. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and Harry was smiling at me. 'I don't believe we've met,' he said. 'Well you are correct, we haven't. I'm Sam Steward.' I extended a hand and he shook it. 'Harry Potter.' 'I figured.' I said, returning his smile.

Harry and I talked during the entire feast. He was really kind and we shared a lot of the same interests. He and I both wanted to be aurors when we graduated, so we would probably share a lot of the same classes. However, I don't think he'll have one subject I sneaked myself into. Harry also shared that he was going to be captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year and that he was a seeker. When I told him I'd been captain at Ilvermorny last year, he sighed in relief. 'Thank Merlin; maybe you can give me some advice, because I have no idea how to handle everything.' I laughed. 'Of course. I don't know yet if I'm going to try out though.' 'You should definitely try out.' Harry said. 'Yeah you really should,' Hermione insisted, joining our conversation. 'Now that Alicia and Angelina have graduated, the team could use some females.' 'Hey, don't forget about me!' Ginny exclaimed from the other side of the table. I'm going to try out this year.' 'We know Gin,' Hermione said. 'We were just encouraging Sam here to try out as well.' 'Oh then it's fine,' Ginny said focussing again on her conversation with a boy whose name I thought was Dean. Harry and Hermione were still looking at me. 'Okay guys, chill, I will think about it.' I guess that was enough for them because the subject was changed.

After dinner Albus Dumbledore stood up and started with a small speech. He talked about the threat that was coming, which was of course Voldemort. He also announced that Professor Snape was going to be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts and that his position would be taken over by a Professor Slughorn. That announcement came with a lot of reactions and murmuring from the students and I could immediately tell that Snape was not the most beloved teacher in school. I guess I would have to see for myself.

After the speech, it was time for everyone to make their way to the common rooms. I had no idea where the Gryffindor common room was, so I just joined Harry, as Ron and Hermione were tending to the first years. However, before we did, I was stopped by a pair of hands on my shoulders. I turned around quickly and saw Terry laughing. 'Ah you were scared right,' Terry said amused. Harry stopped and waited for me. 'No, I was not. Surprised might be a better word.' Terry looked like he didn't believe a word I just said. 'Well whatever your emotions are. I just wanted to congratulate you. Gryffindor is a great house. I mean, not as great as Ravenclaw of course, but you get my point. Oh, before I forget. Cho has to tend to the first years and therefore wanted me to hug you for her, so here you go.' He hugged me tightly, just to make fun of me. People were watching us curiously. I laughed. 'Thanks Terry, I appreciate it. And tell Cho thanks too.' 'I will,' he said. 'Well, I have to go, but I will see you tomorrow.' 'Yeah see you tomorrow.' 'Bye Sam and bye Harry,' he said waving to Harry once before he left.

As we made our way out of the Great Hall, Harry laughed. 'Terry is something else,' he pointed out. 'He definitely is.' 'I didn't know you knew anyone here.' 'Well I just saw Terry for the first time in years on the train, but our parents have been friends since they were pretty young. But other than him I indeed didn't know anyone before I boarded the Hogwarts Express.' I was careful with my words, because I didn't know how well known the history of the relationship between the Boots and the Stewards was. 'Ah,' he said 'that makes sense.' We were silent for a while, but at one moment I just had to ask the question that was burning on my lips for some time now. 'Can I ask you a question?' He looked up. 'Sure, what would you like to know?' he said. 'Who is that guy who hit you? I mean why would he hit you?' Harry looked surprised. He was silent for a moment. 'What is it?' I asked laughing. 'Well… I thought you would ask something else, that's all.' 'What, now I'm curious. You will learn as you get to know me that I'm a very curious person.' He laughed. 'Well mostly when people meet me, they ask the usual questions. Like, do you really have that scar? Or, how was it to face Voldemort? Or just plainly and brutally bring up those moments of my past.' I looked at him. In his face was pain and I knew that. I mean, how could someone not be hurt after all that he'd been through? 'I just think that if someone wants to talk about their past, they can decide that for themselves. That includes you.' Harry looked at me with a smile as we walked further. 'Thank you,' he said. 'You're welcome.'

I really thought Harry and I could be great friends if we wanted to be. It just was really easy to talk to him. 'We're almost there,' he said. 'But to answer your question, the person who hit me is Draco Malfoy. He and I haven't really seen eye to eye since the day we first met. He's in Slytherin and not that I'm against all Slytherins, but he really would make their founder proud if you know what I mean.' Ouch, that kind of hit home. But I wouldn't say anything. He didn't mean anything by it, I was sure. 'And why he hit me,' he went on. 'I guess I kind of deserved it this time. I was eavesdropping on him and his friends and he caught me.' 'Why were you eavesdropping on him?' I asked. 'I just think he's hiding something and I want to find out what it is.' I figured that was as much as I was going to get out of him and so I left it at that.

We walked for a few more moments before we stopped at a painting. 'Why are we stopping?' I asked. 'Because this is the entrance of the Gryffindor common room.' Harry said amused. 'Abstinence.' He said to the lady who was in the painting. 'Very well,' the lady said. The painting opened as a door and I was amazed at what lay before me. 'Welcome to your new home.'

A/N So… Draco made his first little appearance. You will see a lot more of him in this story! As always follow, favourite and leave a review!

Xxx Lisa


	5. Chapter 5

I stepped through the painting, how weird as it may sound, and was truly amazed and speechless. The Gryffindor common room was extraordinary. It looked like a home. It was home, I realised. The common room was huge. There were tables where you could study, a bunch of chairs and two couches sitting around a big fireplace that was already flaming and there were just so many people who looked like they were having the time of their life. I spotted a large bookcase with more books than I could count or read in my time here. The whole room was covered in tapestry with different colours red and there were some beautiful paintings hanging on the walls. 'Wow, this place is amazing.' I said after awing for a few moments. 'I know right,' Harry said smiling.

Harry continued to be the perfect gentleman and gave me a small tour around the common room. When he was done we decided to sit in a couch around the fireplace where two people were already seated. 'Hey Katie,' Harry said to the girl next to him. 'O hey Harry, how was your vacation?' 'Great, how was yours?' 'Lovely, I played a lot of Quidditch. We have to win the Cup this year.' This got my attention. 'You play Quidditch?' I asked leaning forward to catch her eye. 'Yeah, I've been on the House team since my second year.' 'That is so cool, I play too.' Katie widened her eyes with glee. 'Cool, what position do you play?' 'I was a chaser at my old school.' I loved playing that position. It was packed with action. You always had something to do. 'Right, you are the transfer student from Ilvermorny. Welcome to Gryffindor! I'm also a chaser, by the way.' This seemed to pique Harry's interest. 'A chaser huh, we have open spots for that position.' Harry said giving me a knowing look and I couldn't help but smile. Maybe joining the team wouldn't be so bad after all.

After some more talking with Harry and Katie, I decided to call it a night. Tomorrow was already the first day of lessons and I didn't want to feel like a zombie. When I opened the door to the girls' dormitories, I was greeted by Hermione, who was already lying in her bed reading a considerably large book. 'Hey, are you having a good time?' she asked kindly. 'Yes I am. I was just talking with Harry and Katie. They are both very nice.' 'Yeah they are.' Hermione said smiling. 'Where are the owls?' I asked after realising Catherine was not here. 'Oh they are brought to the Owlery in the West Tower of the castle.' She explained 'Thank you.' That reminded me that I had to send my parents a letter the next day.

'Are you excited for the new school year?' I asked after I had unpacked my things and was almost ready to go to bed. 'Yeah I really am.' Hermione sat up. 'I just really love learning and I really like the subjects that I have this year. You must think I'm some type of nerd, but I genuinely love going to class and studying.' I connected to here instantly. 'You don't have to explain that at all. I'm the same. People always acted like I was crazy for going to class early or already having the homework finished, but that's just who I am and I'm not going to change.' 'Finally someone sensible around here.' Hermione sighed, laughing at the same time. 'What are you reading?' 'Oh, this?' Hermione asked. I nodded. 'Hogwarts: A History.' She smiled. 'It's my favourite book and I always read some of it on my first night back in Hogwarts. It feels like home. You could borrow it sometime if you're interested.' 'I just might take you up on that.' I said giving her an appreciative look. My Hogwarts knowledge could use a brush-up.

Hermione and I talked for a while after that, before two other girls entered the dormitory. One of them had pale skin and blonde curly hair, whereas the other one had this caramel skin colour with dark brown hair. They were giggling and hushing their voices when they entered. 'Hi,' I said. 'I am Sam Steward. I don't believe we've met.' 'No, we haven't,' the girl with the dark brown hair said. 'I'm Parvati Patil and this is Lavender Brown.' She pointed to the girl next to her. 'How were your summers?' Hermione asked them. 'Fine,' Lavender said. 'Yeah just fine.' Parvati seconded. The two girls didn't even look at Hermione and just started to unpack their suitcases. Rude much. I did decide not to talk back to them, not wanting to cause any drama. When I looked at Hermione's face, I saw indifference, like she was used to it by now. I liked her so much already. We were going to be great friends. Lavender and Parvati however, I didn't think so.

The next morning arrived fairly quickly. I wasn't a morning person at all. So waking up early was a challenge. I managed though and was ready to go to breakfast at 7:45. Classes only started at 9, Hermione had told me last night, so that was great. At Ilvermorny classed could start as early as 7:00 in the morning. Merlin was I always late for those.

Hermione and I arrived in the Great Hall around 8:00 AM and there was no sign of Harry or Ron yet. I did see Cho and Michael sitting at the Ravenclaw table, but they seemed to have an intimate moment so I figured I shouldn't disturb them. I probably would see Michael in class today anyway. I buttered some toast and grabbed a bowl of fruit from the table before me and started eating. Hermione and I talked for a bit, before Professor McGonagall interrupted us by handing out the class schedules. 'Oh I love receiving class schedules. You can just start planning immediately. However, I would appreciate it if someday they handed them out earlier, because it is just inconvenient, since you now have to return to the tower to get your books.' I had to give her that, it was annoying. But the urge to look at my schedule was too big to worry about that. I looked at it and smiled to myself:

**Monday:**

1\. Defence Against the Dark Arts

2\. Herbology

3-4. Potions

**Tuesday:**

1\. Transfiguration

2\. Defence Against the Dark Arts

3\. Muggle Art

4\. Herbology

**Wednesday: **

1\. Charms

2\. Defence Against the Dark Arts

3-4. Potions

**Thursday:**

1-2. History of Magic

3-4. Arithmancy

5\. Astronomy*

**Friday:**

1\. Charms

2\. Transfiguration

3\. Muggle Art

* Once a week there will also be an Astronomy lesson at night

Yes. Muggle Art. Why, you might wonder. Well, I can explain. Since I was a little girl, muggle art has always fascinated me. Once, me and my parents went to Washington D.C. and we visited the Smithsonian museums. My parents, especially my dad wanted me to learn as much about the muggle world as I could to not be excluded from it. The Museum of Art was absolutely my favourite. I think I was about 10 years old back then. We were looking at the paintings and I couldn't help but wonder why they were not moving, so I asked my dad. He said: 'That's because muggle artists put their own stories and feelings into paintings and not those of others.' That really struck me and I slowly learnt to appreciate muggle art more than wizarding art. I started painting for myself when I was 12 years old. I began with painting just the things I saw in my room: books, stuffed animals and furniture. Basically, whatever I saw first. After that I started painting landscapes and portraits.

Usually when I tell my wizard friends I paint, they judge me. Or maybe more accurately, they don't understand it. And I get it. Why would you paint a still image of someone when you can paint someone that moves? Well, I believe, that when you paint someone in a still image, you can really capture who someone is on the inside. When you paint someone while they are moving and talking, they can still pretend to be someone they are not. So because people rarely understand it, I've kept it mostly to myself. I took some classes in my third year at Ilvermorny, but the class was disbanded because of the lack of students. Apparently, Hogwarts was different, because I was able to apply to this course of Muggle Art. I wondered who would be in the class. I also wondered what kind of reputation the class would have around here. At Ilvermorny, it didn't have a good reputation. Fortunately, it didn't affect me that much, because I was a Quidditch player and above all Isolt Sayre's descendant. That gave me a status and I was proud of that. I really admired Isolt and was proud to be related to her. The whole Salazar Slytherin part was just a bit inconvenient in this corner of the world. However, that all didn't apply to Hogwarts. I was still a nobody, so anything could happen.

'Are you happy with your schedule?' Hermione asked me. 'Yes I really am,' I said. 'I take a lot of classes, but I think it's worth it.' 'Same here,' Hermione confessed. 'Do you have any idea what you want to do after school?' she asked me. 'Yes, I think I want to be an auror. But I don't know if I want to do that right after I finish here. I might like to travel before I actually get a permanent job.' I said. 'That's so cool. I might like to do that someday, but I'd also like to study at a Muggle University for a few years.' 'Wow, I would love to do that, but I wouldn't know what to expect, if I'm being totally honest.' 'Oh, I could explain it to you some time, if you'd want that.' Hermione seemed very eager to share her knowledge with someone. 'Yes, I'd like that. I've always been interested in the muggle world.' 'Yes finally,' she said. 'I can't really talk to anyone about the muggle world. I mean, Harry has grown up in it as I have, but he doesn't really want to talk about it that much and Ron isn't interested at all.' I laughed. It looked like I really had found a friend that had the same interests as me. I'd loved talking to Cho on the way to Hogwarts, but this bond I felt with Hermione was just a tat stronger. Maybe I was too premature with what I was saying, but it just felt right.

A/N Hey guys! It has been a while, but I hope you all liked this new chapter. And by the way… I got the results from my final exams of high school a few days ago and…. I passed! I can finally graduate high school ;-)

As always, please favourite and follow this story and leave a review if you want to. I would really appreciate it!

Xxx Lisa


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